Brahne's Story
by Ultima's Angel
Summary: COMPLETE: Once she was a beautiful, kind person until she was led down the path of evil ultimately destroying her looks. This is Brahne's story.
1. Welcome Home Princess Garnet!

**Brahne's Story**

**By:**_ Ultima's Angel_  
**  
Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story! Bah..._

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**************1. Welcome home Princess Garnet!**

She was beautiful. Small like a petite doll with round brown eyes and a cute smile. Her parents were so proud that they named her "Garnet" after a rich and expensive gem that shined and she did just that, no visitor to the castle would leave without commenting on her beauty. They all said she looked like her mother.

Queen Brahne was the best Queen Alexandria had seen for many years. With long dark brown hair that fell to her waist and pretty brown eyes, she certainly looked the part but it was her caring soul that brought inspiration to the people of Alexandria. She was the one who had brought equality. Before the kingdom was ruled by her and her husband, Alexandria was a place of class. Children of the working class were dying from malnutrition while the rich upper class feasted on large banquets. Brahne had therefore spent most of her time as Queen on bringing a solution to this. It was a cruel ironic fate then that her own little Garnet became ill.

It was a day of misery. Outside, Alexandria was plagued by incessant rain and the sky was filled with swirling grey clouds. Garnet, now a young girl, had mysteriously collapsed and had been bed ridden by a fever. Queen Brahne, in her panic, had called upon every doctor imaginable to cure her but every one diagnosed the same.  
"Your Majesty, the princess is dying"  
Queen Brahne herself died that day. Overcome by grief, she shut herself away from the outside world and her little princess died some time after. Like a curse had been cast on the castle, it lay silent until one day a young knight called Steiner spotted something in the distant water.

"You there! What are you doing floating so close to the castle!"  
From the boat came no reply. Like a ghost ship in light of its surroundings, it continued to bob along in the current coming closer to where Steiner stood. Once it was ashore, Steiner could get a closer look. It had been badly battered with torn sails that spread like a blanket over the cargo. Confused, he lifted up the sail as the wind picked up speed making the boat sway impatiently on the waves. He was aware that this was no cargo… it was a body. In complete shock, he nearly fell backwards. If it hadn't been for a small voice from inside the boat he would have just let the boat be swept back out to sea.  
"Help me… please"

Steiner approached the body once more with caution, his heart pounding, and was relieved to see it was a little girl.  
"What are you doing in there?" he asked, his eyes locking on the girl's large brown ones. "…Garnet?"  
It was an odd moment. Excitement filled every part of him. The Princess had not gone away and been killed like the Pluto Knights had been told. She was in the boat. She was alive. He lifted the girl out and rushed into the castle shouting "She's alive!" as he ran up the stairs towards the royal chambers.

"I must speak with the King and Queen!" he yelled at the young guard.  
"What does this concern?" he asked, like it was part of his routine.  
"Please… it's a personal matter!"  
The young guard noted Steiner's frantic state and let him pass.  
"I have great news!" Steiner cried and he kneeled down to the King and Queen. "The Princess.. she is alive!"  
"My dearest Steiner. Please don't speak such nonsense. You are upsetting my wife!" the King said almost instantly, clasping Queen Brahne's hand.  
"It is not nonsense! I speak the truth, she is here!"  
Steiner summoned the child to stand near him and, as soon as she walked in, Queen Brahne's eyes filled with tears.  
"She was found sailing, Your Highness," Steiner said urgently, "I'd say she's been in a storm from the look of the boat we found her in. It's a miracle. A real miracle has happened. Princess Garnet is alive!"  
He himself looked alive with excitement as if he couldn't wait to leave and spread the good news which he did soon after he had stopped speaking, the noise of his armour heard as he raced down the winding stairs. In the room, however, it was a completely different atmosphere altogether.

"Come child. Let me take a look at you," the King said, but with much less excitement than would be expected of a man who hadn't gazed upon his long- lost daughter's eyes for a long time. "Do not be afraid…"  
"I'm not afraid, I'm just not who you think…" the girl said quietly before being interrupted by the King.  
"Brahne…You know as well as I do that this is not Garnet…"  
The Queen's bottom lip was trembling and her eyes looked as if they had been drained of all colour where once they had been bright.  
"I know…" she whispered to herself. "I know that our Garnet's dead, our little princess is gone. But she looks so much like her… the eyes, the hair, everything… " She looked up. " Where do you come from? Where is your home, who are your parents?"  
"My name is Sara… I'm from…. I'm from…. I don't have a home."  
"Don't have a home? How is that possible?"  
"It was destroyed."  
"My poor child," the Queen said sorrowfully, "Where will you go?"  
Sara obviously hadn't thought this far, she pursed her mouth deep in thought.  
"I don't know, Your Majesty."  
The Queen looked at her, her eyes filled with love as if the child before her really was her own daughter. She was beautiful and alert yet grief had obviously taken its toll. Her long dark brown hair had frayed at the ends and her eyes, once shining brown, were dull only showing signs of life when she looked at Sara. Suddenly she knew what she had to do.

"Steiner!"  
The knight appeared from nowhere, out of breath from running about the kingdom spreading the news.  
"I want you to take Princess Garnet to her room. You are to protect her at all costs- even if it means your life. Do you hear me? We will not lose her again."  
Steiner nodded.  
"Yes, Your Majesty."  
He turned to look at Sara.  
"Welcome home Princess Garnet."

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_This first chapter isn't very detailed and some part of me thinks I maybe should have put some more detail in. However, it is really just an introduction into the story... I normally over describe! I think I was being cautious this fanfic lol... anyhow please read on for more descriptive chapters and, before you do so, please review as I listen to them and I sometimes reply to what people have written. It helps me a lot. __  
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_And... this takes a scene out of my other fanfic "Sacreda" just in case anyone was wondering but they're not actually related.  
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_ Thanks for reading! o:D  
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	2. Haunted

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_At the moment it's a bit of a build up to events with Brahne so be patient with me please! The woman will become evil (and incredibly ugly) but I need to develop a solid why and how. This (>) is an asterisk because I apparently can't get one!  
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2. Haunted**

The sun had come back out to warm Alexandria once again. People were rejoicing, becoming ever more restless to see the Princess within hours of her miracle return unaware that, inside the castle, her secret identity was being erased forever. Sweeping the little girl's hair off her face to take a closer look, the King had noticed the girl possessed a little horn and, in panic, had ordered it to be removed before the formal addressing to the kingdom. Waiting outside the chambers, the King and Queen stood, listening to the screams. Brahne screwed up her eyes and looked away.

"Do you think we are doing the right thing?" she asked, her mind a cavern of thought."This is all wrong I'm sure of it..."  
"How can giving a little girl a home be wrong?" the King assured her and he held her close. "Just relax..."  
"I just get the feeling something's wrong with this…"  
Brahne sighed and bit her lip in uncertainty, her mind filing through guilt and a selfish desire to hold on to her precious child, as the door of the chamber opened.  
"Ah… at last," the King smiled and he looked from the open door of the chamber to his wife, "Brahne… I would like you to meet our latest members to the Alexandria family. This is Zorn and Thorn."

Brahne looked up from where her husband had been protecting her in his arms and her brown eyes peered up at the two jesters in front of her. For some unexplainable reason she felt instant distrust. She didn't know why but there was something about them that made her feel uneasy. Both had gaunt white faces with heavily made up eyes but one was dressed in a blue jester outfit, the other in red. They looked back at her and for a moment the jesters and the Queen stared into each other's eyes. Brahne shivered.

"How is the girl?"  
The King looked into the chambers and Brahne broke away from the eyes of the jesters.  
"The girl is fine," the blue jester informed him.  
"Fine the girl is" the red jester repeated.  
Brahne listened hard but she could not hear what the jesters had said. Her conscience was torturing her and every word that came from the jesters seemed like a million miles away. She had to see the girl.  
"I want to see her now," she said suddenly and, without looking again at the jesters, she rushed into the room.

Inside, the little girl was sleeping, her eyelashes were like black butterflies fluttering their wings and she was breathing silently. Light from nearby candles were casting shadows over her as she lay safe in her cocoon. Brahne sat on the bed beside her and gently sweeped the princess' hair off her forehead, which was now red and missing the horn.  
"Goodnight my sweet Garnet," she whispered softly, every word soothing her grief like a lullaby and filling her heart with meaning.   
Next to her, the candles flickered emitting a soft orange glow over the room. Brahne felt her eyes open and close and soon she saw the light flicker no more as the room fell into darkness…

**>**

Brahne was holding a bundle of joy in her arms. It was a soft, velvet material that was wrapped around the child and from it, came loud crying. Brahne began to rock her gently and, folding back the material, she looked down to soothe her. It was a blur. Just a faceless blur yet it wouldn't stop crying. It cried louder and louder until Brahne began to sob with it.

"_Mummy, why are you lying to yourself?"  
_A voice of a little girl said sadly.

" _Mummy, why won't you let me rest in peace?"  
_  
"_Mummy, why are you pretending?"  
_  
"_Forgive me! I just want you here!"_ Brahne cried at last and she looked all around her. _"It was all wrong! You were taken from me! It was my fault, I should have looked out for you!"_  
The little Princess Garnet appeared faintly, her eyes glazed over and streaming with tears. _  
"Nothing you could have done could have saved me, mummy. I promise you, I am happy"_

Brahne shook her head and desperately continued to rock the faceless baby to stop her from crying.  
_"You won't leave me again!"_ she cried, her eyelashes dripping tears_. " You will be protected this time. A Knight won't leave your side!"_  
Princess Garnet showed no emotion. Her face was as blank as a puppet floating with silent strings. She was fading slowly.

"_I won't fail you again…"_ she whispered as the girl disappeared. She looked down again at the bundle. The blur was becoming something… Brahne's head was pulsating as she folded the material back again to reveal an ugly creature with pallid green skin and a black band over its eyes…  
_"Seize the power Brahne!"_ it hissed menacingly. _"You can bring the real Garnet to life and soothe your pain! You know the little girl is fake! You don't need her, just take all you need to get the power and then the real Princess Garnet can live! "_

_**>**_

"GARNET!"  
Brahne was crying when she woke up, her long hair was matted with the tears and she was gasping for air. The room felt like it was closing in all around her and she was going to be crushed with emotion. She wanted to scream, cry and run from her fear but, like a vice was gripping her, she lay on the bed motionless and the door opened. It was Zorn and Thorn, their pockets sprinkling dust from where they had been casting magic, only disturbed by the Queen's cry.  
"Is there anyway we can help?"  
"Help in anyway can we?"  
"We heard your cries"  
"Heard your cries we did"

Brahne took deep breaths, reminding herself it was only a nightmare, and sat up on the empty bed.  
"Where is Garnet?" she asked the jesters.  
"Dr Tot has arrived to continue her teaching…"  
"Arrived to continue her teaching Dr Tot has"  
Brahne nodded and threaded her fingers through her hair as she looked into a nearby mirror.  
"Thank you," she told the jesters. "I am fine. You may both leave now."

The jesters did as they were ordered and Brahne was glad of this. She wanted to be alone. Her eyes did not leave her reflection, they watched as she lifted a hand and stroked down her face. Her dream was still echoing in her head and it wouldn't leave. Over and over it played like a memory haunting her and she wanted it to go away but the more she tried to forget, the stronger it became visually. She walked down the castle's halls with it in mind before she came to the castle library.

"Look Dr Tot!"  
Her heart leaped at the voice of Princess Garnet from behind the door but then it became filled with guilt over what she had done to the innocent child. There was a strong chance the new princess would never remember her true identity. She was a teddy bear Queen Brahne could cuddle and soothe the pain- the child was now empty, without a past. To everyone in the kingdom she was Princess Garnet but, in Brahne's heart, she was like a reflection in the mirror. The girl looked like her daughter but that was all. She was just a reflection now.

The next night and every night after that she would continue to cry at the mercy of the voice in her dream. But she could control her desire to hold her deceased child in her arms once more. It was just a dream, a hope she had in her heart at night and, by morning, it had faded. Soon, however, her desire to have her Garnet back began to burn stronger. Sometimes she'd comb the living Garnet's hair and she was so proud to have brought such happiness to a child but, at other times, her mind would change and she'd think that just a little bit of power was what she needed to bring her closer to her dream. Just that bit closer so that she could touch her daughter's hand or hear her sweet voice. It was on one stormy night she knew that she was going to go to any lengths to get it.

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The next chapter will be pretty dark therefore there might be a chance the rating will go up. I'm not sure as I've not written it yet! I'll update very soon anyhow 0;) Thanks so much for reading. Please R&R, it helps me a lot _**_  
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	3. Murder at the Castle

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_This is a dark chapter and rated primarily for that. I'm not a big fan of all blood and no story so everything is within context._

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3. Murder at the castle **

A year had passed since Garnet had miraculously returned to the kingdom and it was if she had never gone away. Alexandria was once again enthralled with the little princess yet her own mother felt the complete opposite. Something was still troubling Brahne so much that she avoided the girl completely whereas before she had embraced her in her arms. Her love and subsequent guilt for satisfying her need seemed to have turned into anger. She couldn't bear to watch the princess play in the long green grass, the laughter tormented her. Her own kindness seemed to be like a death sentence, she was trapped with the pain and the guilt of seeing her own little girl in her nightmares, hanging her body listlessly as she floated. Her face was pale and white, cracked like concrete, and her eyes were grey. What had Brahne done? One dead child could feel no more and one living child could remember no more. Every time she closed her eyes, everywhere she went, everyone she met somehow brought back every inch of pain and it scratched into her until she could feel her heart bleed.

One night Brahne had sat in her chambers just crying. Her soul would not forgive her. Looking outside the window, she listened to the wind howl and the rain beat down and her own tears poured down the glass on the inside. She remembered a time when she, her Garnet and her husband had raced around the castle and Garnet had giggled as Brahne had swooped her into her arms and kissed her. She could see it now but it dissolved in a blurry mist on the window pane.  
"I'm sorry," she whispered and she felt the air turn cold as if the window had sprung open but it was tight shut. An eerie atmosphere had descended into the room like all life had been sucked away as the all too familair hissing voice spoke from nowhere.

"_You're sorry? __Is that all you have to say for yourself?"_  
Brahne spun around, her heart pounding.  
"Who is there?"_  
"Just that little bit of power Brahne and then the pain will be gone. Your girl will live, you will own more kingdoms than you could ever dream of…"_  
"Leave me alone!" Brahne screamed into the air and she fell back onto the bed, desperately climbing backwards to try and hide under the warm blanket.  
"You can't hide from your sins! You need the power!"  
"No!"  
"_You need it!"_  
"No!"  
Brahne shuffled back so far that she missed the edge of the bed. Instead, she fell backwards and her head hit against the dresser. All went black.

>

It was funny what lying unconscious did. When Brahne finally opened her eyes, it was much later into the night and the rain that splattered the windows had become so heavy it was like bullets were pounding the window. A storm had brewed. Fork lightning burst through the grey clouds, trees became like skeletal hands blowing in the gale and the clouds grew thicker and angrier every minute.

Brahne felt a trickle of blood fall down her cheek and she tried to stand but the room was like a kaleidoscope. Taking a candle of the dresser, she left the room and crept down the stairs, the floorboards creaking with every move she made. She had no thoughts at all. Her mind felt as though it had been emptied and put back on her shoulders with only a greedy surge for power possessing her every action.

"Creeeeeeek"  
She slowly pushed a door open and walked ever so carefully into the room. It was a long hall with Knights lining each side of a red carpet standing proud, their swords slid in between their hands. Brahne inspected them closely.

**ADELBERT STEINER  
**

One read, engraved on a plaque at the bottom of a recently-polished Knight. Brahne stared at it for a moment but her eyes looked through it, her true interest lay in the sword the suit of armour held. Steiner's sword. Brahne slid it out of its sleeve and for a moment she admired it. It glinted in the light like crystal yet it was lethal and solid. Perfect. She stroked its surface like it was her precious pet and stepped towards the door. It was one step closer to getting that power, no one was going to get in her way. She crossed the landing. She walked up the stairs. She opened the door. It was warm inside the royal chamber.

A fire was crackling in the corner, the flames were burning bright casting a glow over the darkness. Shadows were dancing across the walls but only one was moving towards the bed. Brahne looked down on her sleeping husband. He was content in his slumber, deep in a pleasant dream but, so it seemed, easily woken.  
"Brahne… " he whispered sleepily, his eyelids struggling to keep open. " What are you doing up at this time of the night? Darling, go back to bed…"  
Brahne looked at him emotionless and she raised the sword.  
" Brah-"  
She plunged it into him, feeling it revitalise her body somehow. Her mind felt trapped but her body had never felt so alive. She watched him bleed. He tried to stand up to feel his wound but he fell and the blood trickled from the bed to the carpet, staining everything rich red. Brahne continue to look but soon emotion entered her once cold eyes, her mind's prison was lifting and all her thoughts were returning slowly but surely, showing on her face. First she felt numb, then the emotion flooded into her soul, then pain exploded in her head until her heart felt on fire. In hysterics, she rushed to his side and cradled him in her arms. In spite of what she had done, the King looked back at her in confusion but, most of all, love.

"W-W-What have I done? H- H-How?" Brahne said through tears, her heavy breathing interfering with the words. She couldn't see anymore, her eyes had become so blurred and she felt so helpless. For a moment she looked up and she could see a memory in her mind's eye. There she was wrapping her arms around her young husband's waist. They were smiling and laughing, their eyes twinkling. Then he stared passionately into her eyes and mouthed his love for her. Brahne watched the memory disappear and her lip trembled, her whole body was shaking. She knew he was dying.  
"I-I'm s-s-sorry," she cried, holding him closer to her chest until her dress also turned red. He was trying to speak but the pain took away his every word. "Sssh… just go to sleep now."  
She stroked down his soft brown hair that was wet with sweat and kissed his forehead. Softly, she let her finger touch his lips.  
"Don't try to speak… just close your eyes and sleep. I… love you"  
His eyelids flickered open and shut like the nearby flames, finally closing after a few minutes. Brahne looked away and watched the fire as it went out. She closed her eyes and let a stream of tears flow down her bloody cheek as she felt her husband fall limp in her arms. She placed him softly on the carpet and kissed his lips that were still warm and then she wrapped his arms around her and cried on his chest.

It was all a bad dream she was sure of it. Sometime soon she'd wake up but the more she tried to deny her situation, the more it became real. She couldn't even remember leaving her chambers and yet here she was soaked in blood, her love dead below her. It was as if she was the one who had been stabbed, the agony in her heart was unreal and her face felt like disinfectant had been poured over her soul's wounds. Something had to stop her. She was out of control, more a monster than a woman.With her mind churning every unimaginable thought, she let her husband go at last. Shaking furiously, she reached for the sword and the storm grew wilder.

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_Wow I enjoyed writing that! That flowed pretty easily... yay. Ah well… next chapter to follow. See you there._


	4. Aftermath

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

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**4. Aftermath**

Dr.Tot was working late into the early hours of the morning in the underground chambers. He had mountains of papers to be worked on, each bundle towering so high on his desk that anyone might have thought he was making a paper model of a city. Mentally exhausted but nevertheless determined to finish his tasks, he dipped his quill in a tub of nearby ink and forced himself to concentrate. It was, after all, an important formula he had been working on. It was a cure he needed, a cure that would heal a mysterious fever in which victims became nauseas and, in seconds, collapsed without much warning. It was then likely they would develop the fever subsequently killing them within a few days. Not one to give up, Dr. Tot had insisted on working on the project day and night after the death of the real Princess Garnet and now he was getting near a result….

'…But there'd have to be some form of anti-poison… ' he thought to himself and he scored out another tested ingredient on his list, his eyes jumping to the next. 'what about this?… No, NO, definitely not- would cause intestine explosions…'  
He paused for a moment and suddenly looked around him as if someone who really had been victim to intestine explosion had spewed their insides up the walls. Fortunately there seemed a much simpler reason for his distraction. He felt sure he could hear footsteps running down the stone spiral staircase that led to the basement level he worked on. 

'Who'd be up at this hour?'  
Dr. Tot slid his glasses over his large sausage nose and listened again. The footsteps were no figment of his imagination, they were coming closer to the door.  
"THUD… THUD… THUD…"  
The door flew open. In the doorway was Queen Brahne, looking as if she had been involved in a battle; her head was bruised from the fall, her cheeks splattered with blood and her expression was frantic. She seemed also to have lost her ability to stand, more a cave woman than a Queen. Cushioned in- between her left bloody palm was a sword, shining in fresh blood that dripped off the blade.

"My dear woman! What has happened?" Dr. Tot cried and he abandoned his paperwork.  
Brahne was struggling to speak. Each word came out in short stammers that couldn't seem to string together.  
"Killed….in… Royal chambers… I… didn't… I.. just… "  
"Who? Who has been killed?"  
Brahne shook her head and tears erupted from her eyes like active volcanoes. Dr.Tot could see there was no use interrogating her, the shock had seen to it that she more a walking zombie than a woman who would fill him in on events. He left her standing beside his library and rushed up to the royal chambers. His heart beating, he slowly pushed the door open. There, upon the floor, was the King where Brahne had left him. Dr. Tot gasped a little but he was determined not to lose his head, Brahne needed him to stay calm. He shut the door on the horror before him and made his way back to the basement, his mouth so dry he could feel his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. His mind was racing with all sorts. A murderer was in the castle. Would the person still be here? Perhaps they were hiding? A sickly feeling entered his stomach imagining the culprit grabbing him from behind.

"THUD!"

A loud noise erupted from the bottom of the staircase. Dr. Tot's heart froze with the realisation he had no weapon in which to defend himself with. The sickly feeling moved up to his throat.  
"Hello?"  
For a smart man, he thought, saying hello to a murderer was hardly the best plan. He would have hit himself if his body wasn't so paralysed. Turning the next corner, it felt like time had slowed down and he was being possessed by curiosity. One step… one step more…  
"BRAHNE!"

Queen Brahne was cowering at the bottom of the stairway, shielding her ears from a unheard voice. She was pounding on the floor and screaming. A cave woman suddenly seemed quite civilised compared to the sight before Dr.Tot's eyes. He rushed to help her back into the chambers with much difficulty, it was as if the young Queen had taken some form of drug that had numbed her before throwing her into some uncontrollable fit. It took a while to get her to calm down but Dr.Tot was a patient man. Brewing up a relaxant in liquid form, he eased it down Brahne's throat.  
"Tell me," he said softly but with a hint of sharpness, " Who killed the King?"

"I was in bed," Brahne started slowly but clearly, "And then I just remember falling off and it all going black. Then I woke up and I don't… I…don't…"  
She became agitated but Dr. Tot soothed her once more with the relaxant and she began to talk again.  
"… I don't really remember thinking much. I just knew I had to seize some power and get rid of anything in my way. I went to the Knight's Hall and took a sword and then I crept back upstairs. Then I killed him."  
"But… why?"  
Dr.Tot's eyes had widened so much that you could fit saucers in them but still he was calm.  
"I don't know why. I was uncontrollable, possessed- like. I just did it and then realised after it," Brahne spoke once more under the influence of the relaxant. "Please… help me. You must bind me from doing harm. I can't control anything anymore. What if I kill Garnet? How would I live with myself a second time?"

Dr.Tot stood up from where he had been crouched at Brahne's side, his mind working overdrive.  
"You won't have to. I will help you, I promise. You must stay calm however. The King is the newest victim of the fever, you hear me?"  
Brahne nodded but her eyes were filling up with tears at the mention of her love.  
"Now I don't know what this is about, Your Majesty, but I know that you are no murderer. Don't think though that I don't take your claims seriously. If you are experiencing some form of uncontrollable urges to kill then indeed we must act quickly. First we have to clean up the murder scene and the sword. Then I promise I will find something to help you."

Dr. Tot flipped open a book of charms and read out an incantation. Steiner's bloody sword rose and, as if it was being dipped in some invisible solution, the blood dissolved into particles that faded completely. Then it fell back on the table spotlessly clean. Brahne watched it and her stomach flipped over.  
"I think you will find the room too is immaculate…" Dr. Tot mused.  
"…What of my husband?" Brahne said suddenly, each word fringed with worry as if the King was still alive and could feel his surroundings.

Dr. Tot pointed behind him at a moving purple cloth that looked as if it was covering something (a figure was definitely imprinted on it) yet there was nothing beneath it.  
"Invisible in case of prying eyes but hovering he should not be."  
Dr. Tot clicked his fingers and the cloth fell to the floor, this time seemingly hiding nothing.  
"When the time comes you should bury him."

Brahne nodded, another stream of tears falling down her cheek. Dr.Tot bowed his head as if at a funeral, slipped the book back but said nothing. For a moment Brahne thought he might speak again but he didn't. He was stroking a finger down a row of books, occasionally one would fly onto the table beside the sword and then Dr. Tot would shake his head and it would fly back. It continued like this for the next hour; Brahne was practically sleeping only kept awake by the reoccurring thumps of books that hit the table and zoomed back again. As she lay motionless on the bed that sat tucked away in the corner, she heard the clock tick by. Her eyes flickered open and shut time and time again but never would her soul rest. Eventually she heard Dr.Tot throw himself back at his desk in desperation.  
"Nothing… not one," he was muttering to himself.

Brahne levered herself off the bed and approached the old tutor.  
"I take it you are referring to my sitaution?" she questioned him.  
Dr. Tot raised his nerdy head and folded his glasses back off his nose and onto the desk.  
"There doesn't appear to be anything that would bind you from doing harm. Most frustrating… "  
"So that's it? 'Most frustrating' that's all you can say?" Brahne cried, shaking in fear from herself, "You can't help me? I thought you were supposed to be the cleverest man in this kingdom yet you can't even save me from myself?"

Dr. Tot's eyes darkened, taking on the appearance of an evil mole that was not comical in the least, and said in a mere whisper: " Oh I can help you but what we will need to do is venture into the unknown. Take a risk. There is a book, Brahne, sealed for a thousand years. Sealed for containing charms that will cause harm. I fear its contents as much as I fear your new state of mind but something tells me that maybe it will hold the key but don't expect it to be a quick fix. That book contains hideous curses, curses that could wipe out your entire kingdom and I don't expect that this spell won't come at a serious price. Therefore I suggest you think deeply about your next choice. Who knows?"- He looked at her beautiful face- "It could be your last…"

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_ Over so quickly yet again lol :( well R&R and I'll get the next chapter out asap! _  



	5. The Book of Forbidden Charms

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_  
Chapter 4 would be a little strange without this chapter. As we know, in the game Dr.Tot doesn't do magic. I hope I can explain here why he does learn things of that nature. As for why Dr.Tot doesn't turn Brahne in or what possesses her to do things it will all come together in time lol. Most of all remember that Brahne, no matter what she's done, is not actually evil yet. There's a change happening in her but it doesn't appear to be in her control.  
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5. The Book of Forbidden Charms**

"Forgive me, I don't know what came over me…"  
Dr. Tot shook his head and his eyes returned to his normal small brown eyes. He put his glasses back on and, in a sudden change of heart, he began to scribble furiously on his report once more.  
"You said you could help me…you said there was a book…" Brahne said cautiously, every word carefully formed.  
Dr. Tot said nothing, he was still furiously scribbling on the paper until his quill sank through it. He finally looked up.  
"I said nothing of the sort. I found nothing in my library that could help your situation. Now if you would…"  
He pointed a finger towards the doorway.  
"But you said-"  
"I said I had no books that could help you"  
"You performed charms, I saw it. Then you spoke of another book and went all weird…"  
"I don't know any magic-"  
Brahne opened her mouth to disagree but he continued quickly.  
"-What little I know I learned from some old books belonging to Hilda. I am but a knowledgeable tutor and I learn everything from what I read. I give you my word I cannot perform any real magic, especially if it's not in a book. I have done all I can for you. If you don't leave now I will call the Pluto Knights…"

Dr. Tot was acting suddenly peculiar. His eyes were a cauldron of fear and panic. His mind was whizzing with the fact he had helped a murderer. A respectable man like him did not associate himself with murderers. Before now he felt sure that Brahne had not been controlling her urges to kill but now his mind wasn't so sure. How could he be sure that Brahne had not murdered of her own accord? Should he call the Pluto Knights? Have her locked up? His mind discarded this idea as soon as he looked into the Queen's desperate eyes. They were not murderous and cold but filled with fear, genuinely scared and she was trembling hanging on to his every word with the hope he could somehow erase her terrible deed. He could not bring himself to order an arrest yet he knew he had not the skill to do proper magic to help her. All he wanted to do was go back to brewing some potions, pour over his beloved books and pretend he had not just read some old incantations that didn't belong to him to help a… _murderer. _The word bore into him over and over again.  
"Please…just leave," he begged, as if the presence of Brahne caused him great confusion.

Brahne wanted to stay and persuade him but she knew she had tried him to his limits and that he may well stick to his word and call the Knights. She left, her mind still latched onto the idea of another book that would help her, but who other than Dr.Tot would know of such an object? Who could do real magic but, more importantly, would venture further and explore into darker regions? As morning broke out, she knew exactly who.

She banged on a door. It opened steadily revealing the ghoulish faces of Zorn and Thorn.  
"I need you to perform a spell for me," she said desperately and she rushed into the room. Zorn and Thorn looked at each other and Brahne felt a similar chill to the one she had felt when she had first met them fall down her spine but it wasn't the time to bring back old instincts, she needed their help.  
" There's a book I'm sure of it," she continued, ignoring her feelings, "A book that was locked away a long time ago containing dark spells. I'm sure it contains what I need…"  
"A book that was locked away can only bring trouble…" the blue jester, Zorn, commented.  
"Trouble will only be brought by a book that was locked away…" the red jester, Thorn, repeated.  
Even though they seemed to understand the nature of the book, their eyes were twinkling and they wore enthusiastic grins.  
"We can help you.."  
"Help you we can…"  
Brahne ignored their delighted smiles and concentrated more on the fact that they were willing to help her.  
"Then, where is this book? What is it? Do you know?"

"We know of it. We… have it," Zorn grinned proudly, like he had won a medal. "Took us a while to track it down, Dr.Tot had been hiding it, he had borrowed some books from Hilda to learn how to conceal it. Clever man but he is no sorcerer, just a very knowledgeable man who can read some incantations. He came across the book as a child and brought about an incurable fever by accident from reading it. He is an idiot who can only read but cannot handle magic…"  
"An incurable fever?"  
Brahne let those words wash over her until it emptied her completely.  
"Why yes," Zorn smiled maliciously, "That would be the one that killed little Garnet. Tried to hide all the evidence against him of course but his stupid little incantations are no match for our real magic. All that concealed it was a pitiful little invisibility charm and some curses"  
"…So it's not sealed anymore?" Brahne asked.  
"It never actually was. A Dr.Tot story. 'It was sealed a thousand years ago by old servants who feared its content.' The only sealing it's ever had was by him," Zorn sneered and he gave a silent order to his accomplice jester who returned a few moments later, his arms clasped around a leather-bound book that was almost as big as he was.  
"Let us show Brahne the true meaning of magic…" Zorn hissed and the book fell upon on a table as if it was under a silent wind.

It was a horrible five minutes or so. Each page of the magic book was mangled and torn and, as if it was enchanted, it contained moving pictures of people being hanged, children screaming and crying and storms brewing, with purple clouds gathering strength to produce white lighting. Even though the content was frightening, the jesters saw only the power behind the spells. Their eyes glowed as suddenly, the wind began to pick up speed and the pages began to turn faster and faster, the screams became louder and louder and the images became more gruesome. Then, it stopped at a page.

"Lie there," Zorn ordered, his skeletal finger pointing at the bed. Brahne began to shake viciously. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea? Her mind, however, had flashbacks of her husband lying in her arms soaked in blood and she couldn't bear to think of doing it again to some other innocent victim.  
"I think this is what you are looking for…"  
"Looking for this I think you are…"  
"It will bind you from harming yourself or anyone else…"  
"That's the one I need!" Brahne cried.  
"This will come at a heavy price…"  
"A heavy price this will come at…"  
"Anything but harming anyone ever again!" Brahne cried again.

Zorn put the book on a stand while Thorn took some red dust that looked like curry powder and sprinkled it over Brahne's forehead. Quickly, Zorn began to read in a language Brahne could not understand and, within minutes, her whole body felt on fire. It started in her stomach faintly but now it had spread over her body until she was in excruciating pain. Her eyes were blurred but she could feel heat and see orange flames rippling down her. She really was on fire. It was criss-crossing down her body creating deep scars that glowed red from the dust. The spell continued to immerse his body in flames over and over again and, by this time, she was screaming.

"Just a little bit more Brahne…"  
"No more!"  
"Nearly over Brahne…"  
"Make it stop now!"  
"Nearly there now…"  
"It has to stop now!"  
"Few more.."  
"No more!"  
"and… IT'S OVER!"

Brahne felt the flames release her body and she slumped down into the bed, the scars oozing red liquid and her head felt dizzy. She was conscious long enough to see Zorn fold away the book stand but, by the time it had been taken away by Thorn, she had blanked out.

* * *

_and... this is over! mwhahaha. Yeah... my end bits are always pointless apart from saying the usual R&R! _


	6. The Living Dead

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

* * *

**  
6. The Living Dead**

Brahne woke up expecting to see scars over her body and feel further excruciating pain but, much to her surprise, her skin was smooth and her mind felt clearer than it had ever felt. Somehow everything felt better, not only was the sun shining outside and birds were singing but she felt full of energy and it was as if every burden she had ever had had been lifted. Smiling to herself for the first time in ages, she looked around the room. It was drowned in sunlight and sparkling like a glittering ballroom with no evidence that a dark spell had ever been carried out.

She closed her eyes for a moment, her mind remembering the spell that had ripped through her body that now seemed to have brought her such peace, she would gladly do it more times if it meant she could lie in this room forever free of pain and guilt. It was indescribable how tranquil lying on the bed with the feeling that the spell had worked in her heart. From now on she could do no harm she was sure of it.

With this joyous thought in mind, she threw back the duvet and got ready to face the world once more when suddenly an awful sound came from the other side of the door. Someone was crying. Brahne froze, a sudden flow of guilt swimming up to her heart. She knew exactly why someone was crying. Like all happiness had been drained away from her within a second, a ruthless injection of reality brought her out of her peaceful dream world into her hell. The kingdom had been informed of the King's death. She herself had been so happy that she would never do such an awful deed again that the horror of what she had done had somehow drifted out of mind but now, here it was, stronger than ever- pangs of guilt leeched all her previous happiness away and a sudden veil of grief fell over her. As if she had seen a ghost, her face became pale and she fell back on the bed. The sun hid behind a dark grey cloud and the birds stopped singing casting a grieving silence over the castle.

The child continued to cry and soon it became like torture, gripping Brahne's once joyous heart and shredding it into many pieces. A tear trickled down the young Queen's cheek and, deep in thought, she rocked back on forth on the bed. One tear became two and two tears became a stream. Her head was buried in memories again and they played over and over again. Suddenly, she knew what she had to do now. Like a transparent ghost floating over the crying people, she crept of the room, down the stone spiral staircase and towards Dr.Tot's basement chambers.

The room was just as she had left it. Upon the desk, towers of papers sat waiting to be finished and there were still a few books on the table that Dr.Tot hadn't put back in his search to help Brahne. It felt like a million years ago she had raced down to this very room, crying, and had been unable to think clearly at all. Now, her mind was in a state of acceptance even though her loss still hurt beyond words. She wanted to say goodbye to her love once and for all. She wanted to explain to him everything. There was no way her heart could move on until she had faced up to her crime one final time. Cautiously approaching the purple cloth she had seen Dr. Tot conceal her husband with, she tried to remember a way to reveal him. Her mind, however, was blank and it was only when she heard a voice behind her, that it became alive with any thought.

"So the time has come…"  
Brahne's heart began to beat faster, only slowing down when she had time to think the voice belonged to Dr.Tot. She spun around to look at the wise tutor.  
"I…I…"  
She wanted to explain herself better, make him understand somehow she was not evil but her head couldn't find the words. Dr. Tot, however, didn't have the expression upon his face that said he was believed he was confronting a mass murderer. He smiled weakly, his right hand silencing any attempts of Brahne's to explain herself.  
"I spent all that night trying to reassure myself I had done the right thing," he began quietly, "My head was telling me that you were a heartless murderer, that what I did was wrong and that I should have had you arrested when I had the chance… but after much contemplation it all came down to the same thing. I believe you Brahne, I believe you weren't in control of what you were doing. I can't find another reason. You wouldn't… you couldn't have…You… loved him too much. "

Brahne felt an enormous flood of relief enter her body but also another wave of grief. She cried a little more as she stared at the purple cloth. This seemed to trigger something in Dr.Tot's mind. He spoke even softer than before.  
"Brahne? I don't want you to tell anyone about my incantations. I don't wish to associate myself with it, I only have the ability to read and acquire the knowledge it gives me after all . I am a simple man, I need only knowledge-" he paused for a moment, unsure of how to start his next sentence it seemed- "A-And Brahne, if I mentioned a book of dark spells you must forget about it. It brings nothing but evil, nothing good ever comes of it. It's best left sealed where it can do no harm…"

Brahne felt her heart surge with a sudden hatred at these words. She had not forgotten what the jesters had told her about him reading it and bringing about the fever that had killed Garnet because of his lack of skill. However, she said nothing. The only thing she could really think about was how much joy that horrific spell had actually brought her. Without much more thought, she blurted out what she knew about the book. Perhaps she wanted Dr.Tot to know that the book could do good but, whatever she thought, it didn't bring much joy to Dr.Tot.

"Dr.Tot that book is unsealed but it is ok, I promise. It has blessed me with protection. I don't think I will harm anymore…"  
Dr.Tot's face went whiter than a sheet, his eyes filled up with fear and he stared off into the distance. If anyone had walked in at this point they might have thought he was a victim of shell shock, his mouth seemed to foam a little giving him the appearance of a terrified puppy dog.  
"Dr.Tot?" Brahne said concerned, feeling as if a rotten apple had finally began to work its way into her digestive system. She never seen the man like this before.  
"No spell from there comes without a price…" Dr. Tot spoke in a scared whisper, his eyes still somewhere in the distance.  
"It's ok. The scars vanished and I feel…"  
"Never will you be the same again. **NEVER!"**

Suddenly Brahne felt like the puppy dog, one who was being scolded by its master. She jumped back in shock. If she hadn't expected Dr.Tot to act so scared she certainly didn't foresee him raising his voice so unexpectedly.  
"….I…. I... don't get what you mean," Brahne stammered, suddenly feeling as if the room had turned into a sauna.   
"Don't you understand?" Dr. Tot bellowed, looking straight into her eyes, "That book is evil! It was sealed for a purpose! It may seem like a quick fix to your problems but no piece of magic will bring you that kind of solution! In time, you will understand. In time, that spell will reveal its true form to you. It will destroy you Brahne!"

Brahne felt as though she had had another injection shot into her. She could feel all the colour drain from her face. Over and over the words "destroy you" played in her mind. Was she going to die? Why hadn't the jesters fully informed her of the consequences? What was going to happen to her? Her throat became sticky and dry, dreading to ask such a simple question.  
"But… I thought it would help me…" she whispered to herself. "I thought it _had_ helped me…."  
"Many have fallen under its spell with that promise," Dr. Tot informed her, "It is a dangerous controlling object to all who come across it. Brahne… do you… ?"  
The Queen looked up from where she had been deep in thought.  
"I want to know what is to become of me," she said decisively. "If there is a price to pay then I must know of it. There is no point hiding from the inevitable. What will happen to me?"

Dr.Tot dropped his eye contact and his voice became absent of emotion, replaced by a voice of wisdom.   
"It is hard to say. According to my reading, it is reported that inevitably there will be a destruction of the body. The human body cannot possibly withstand a spell of that nature. I am not sure exactly but I would say that over a period of five years your body will feel the full effect. Naturally, your immune system will treat it as an infection and will get rid of it. It is in this time that you may feel the positive effects of the spell"- he flicked open a book and began to search finally sliding a finger down a page to bend it over- " However, this spell is no infection and it will gradually multiply increasing its power. The body will become confused and will attack itself causing natural processes in the body to breakdown. Reported effects include: an inability to produce iron for the blood or process fats, the sight is not unheard of to be lost or badly damaged and mood swings/ personality changes are also reported. Victims who live may find themselves the Living Dead"

Dr.Tot slowly closed the book and it puffed out a haze of dust. It was as if it had cast a spell upon a room. There was complete silence with only the sound of the clock ticking nearby. Brahne slid down to where the cloth lay, her eyes streaming. She could feel nothing. Her whole body felt numb.   
"Brahne… This is a dangerous time for others," Dr. Tot began delicately, "If this spell does to you what it is reported to do then these mood swings and this whole transformation cannot happen within daylight…"  
He trailed off leaving Brahne to come to the awful conclusion.  
"...You will lock me up?" she said quickly, relieving Dr.Tot of having to say it. He bowed his head once more.  
"I… have.. no choice…."

Brahne felt as though the words she had spoken were twisting her insides and squeezing out every bit of emotion . She had lost all ability to speak her feelings, instead they were churning up her insides like a blender and the result was horror and devastation in her face. Her eyes were pouring out acid tears that burned into her skin. Now, it all seemed so obvious that such an evil book could only do harm but then, she was desperate to save others from her husband's fate. For what seemed like an eternity, she sat sobbing in silence eventually speaking in a voice that sounded as if it belonged to a person who had had their soul sucked away.

"Dr.Tot... before... before you... can I have privacy to bury my husband?"  
Dr.Tot felt his own eyes burn with tears as he opened another book.  
"This is the last time I ever read an incantation… "

Brahne closed her eyes and let tears fall down her cheek. When she had opened them, the tears were falling into a sea. She didn't know how she had got there, she didn't even recognise the place, but she knew that she was here to say goodbye. She held the purple bundle in her arms that was now solid with the body and continued to cry.  
"I don't know if I can really find the words, " she sobbed on the secluded land Dr. Tot's incantation had brought her to. "But I have to explain somehow. I don't understand things myself. I'm scared of what is happening to me and now I learn that I too am more or less going to die…"  
She lay the bundle down on the soft green grass and looked into the distant ocean.  
"…It's beautiful here. I think you will be in peace. I want that more than anything. Never will I forgive myself for what I have done but I find comfort in the fact that you will be here…"  
She gently rolled him onto the lapping waves.  
"…. Rest in peace, may your eternal sleep be filled with pleasant dreams…"  
He slowly drifted out into sea and Brahne caught her reflection shimmering on the water. This, she knew, was the last time she'd ever see herself look like the person in the water.

* * *

_I hope that was an ok burial. I thought it would be nice as D.T's final incantation to give Brahne her a final wish of privacy to bury her husband. O.k well she could have buried him outside the castle somewhere but then they'd have to go move the body and suspicions about the death may be running high. By Dr.Tot reading this final spell, it ends Dr.Tot's "magic use" and Brahne can have her wish before she will effectively lose her mind and body.  
_


	7. The Girl who saw Evil

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

___This is a bit dark at the beginning, its really a kind of metaphor show how Garnet feels at the loss of her parents. I have no idea why this fanfic is this dark. I'm no fluffy writer but I normally write happy stuff! … I suppose it's just because it's really a tragedy all the way through and, sounding like an English teacher, it's imagery to reflect that hoho._

___Anyhow enjoy this chapter. This, as you will read, is set some years after Brahne is locked away… I had a brain freeze so that's why it took me a while to get this out! So sorry 'bout that… _

___ P.S Contains one swearing word!  
_

* * *

_**  
**_** 7. The Girl who saw Evil **

The sky above the dark forest had become an ink black veil that had fallen to mask the stars. Twisted branches like dead arms climbed up to the moon giving it the appearance of a graveyard full of bodies shining in the moonlight. Through a dark gravel pathway a girl was running so fast that the surrounding bushes were purple and black blurs. She herself was pale, her eyes looked as if they had been put in a colander and had been drained of all colour with only tears to dribble down her cheeks.

"MUMMY WHERE ARE YOOOO!" she was crying, just a little child lost in the woods. "DADDY…. I'M SCARED!"  
But no one but her was in sight. The pathway seemed to go on forever, mud was plastered up the girl's legs that were scratched and bleeding from running through the prickly bushes but she had nowhere else to go but forward.  
"MUMMY PL-!"

She hadn't noticed a black twig was sticking out of the ground when she tripped over it and fell through a clearing in the trees, breaking her horn on her head. She felt a sharp excruciating pain throb through her head that made her scream so loud some ravens flew out of the top of the tree in front of her. With her mind still fuzzy and aching from the fall, her eyes scanned from the bottom of the tree up to the top. It was more uglier than any of the other trees put together, disfigured with moaning grey bodies integrated into its bark and with branches like bony fingers tapping the grey clouds. As her young eyes looked higher up, they became wide and filled with horror at the gruesome sight that lay before her. Hanging off the end of the thickest branches, two frayed ropes slowly revolved the hanged bodies of the King and Queen, their grey eyes were staring lifeless into the distance.

"MUMMY? DADDY?"  
The little girl's face crumpled into an unrecognisable mess and, frightened, she tried to double back over the damp soil instead falling over. Clambering over the remains of dead bodies, she….

"AAAAAH!"  
Princess Garnet woke up screaming, her hands frantically touching her forehead that was drenched in sweat. It had all felt so real that, even after a few minutes, she still could not erase the thought of herself as the little girl in the nightmare. Even though she knew it was just a dream (she was safe in her bed, she didn't have a horn, and she certainly wasn't a little girl anymore but a young teenager) it had got her thinking about her parents. She knew her father had died from illness but her mother? She remembered the beautiful Queen often, combing her hair and singing to her. She remembered her long brown hair, her deep brown eyes and her scent but, most of all, she remembered her mother's sadness. Little Garnet didn't see her mother very much, the Queen was always busy she was told, and therefore she had been under the close protection of Steiner, a promising young knight. Then, one day not long after the King's death, the Queen had simply disappeared. Where to nobody knew, it had been a great mystery to all but people had suggested she had been overcome by grief and shut herself away.

For a girl of such a young age, the loss of both parents had been devastating but it made her into a strong young woman. Although she was only thirteen, she had become mature before her time and this made her come to despise her lack of freedom. She dreamed about exploring what would one day be her kingdom, she dreamed about meeting the people who would someday come to her for advice and she dreamed about learning new things the outside world could teach her when, in reality, all she really got was….

"Princess!"

Like someone had somehow heard her thoughts, in rushed Steiner with an expression upon his face that looked like the young girl had just been kidnapped by a giant beast and thrust out of the window.  
"What is going on? Are you alright? Why did you scream? What happened? Is there anything-"  
"Steiner… I just had a bad dream that is all," the princess said without much energy. "Everything is fine…. "  
She slid out of bed and looked out of the window to the far distant lands past Alexandria and sighed.  
"….anyway I would have thought you would have more important things to deal with what being promoted to Captain of the Guards and now, being a part of the Alexandria New Government…"  
She tried to keep her tone conversational but it failed spectacularly. She couldn't hide her irritation at once again being treated like a child. Apparently she was too young to join the government that had been formed to run the country after the disappearance of Brahne. Fortunately, Steiner was completely oblivious to this.

"MORE IMPORTANT THINGS!" he cried, as if she had gone and caused him great offence. "Princess, your safety is my prime concern!"  
Garnet gave a weak smile to him, one that looked as natural as a funeral director smiling, and turned back to gaze at the white doves that hooted good morning as they affectionately nibbled her fingers in search of grain.

Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue with white doves gliding through the warm air enjoying a gentle breeze. They looked down upon Alexandria that was bustling with early risers who were busy buying up the market stalls. Garnet sighed dreamily at the outside world watching the green of the grass, the colours of the city and the blue of the sky merge together when her eyes sharply focused on one thing. In the distance, a silver speck was coming towards the castle. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes but it was still there, coming closer and taking the shape of a dragon. A feeling deep down in her stomach told her something was wrong….

"Steiner," she said suddenly, "Steiner… there's a dragon coming near the castle!"  
The Knight raced to the window and his face wore the same expression he had had when he thought Garnet was in trouble.  
"Stay here," he commanded, much more seriously than usual.  
"But-"  
"Garnet, please for your own protection stay in this room!"

Steiner ran out, shutting the door and subsequently locking it.  
"For your own protection stay in this room…" Garnet imitated him once he had gone, feeling anger erupt in the pit of her stomach. What right did he have to keep her in this room? She was old enough to know what was happening in a country that would one day be hers. She wasn't a child who needed protecting from every little thing.  
"I have a right to know… " she said to herself as she picked the lock with a hair pin. "I don't need to be wrapped up like a baby…"

Much to Garnet's surprise, the door came open quite easily making way for her to quietly creep downstairs and hide behind some large barrels. She peered through a convenient hole in one of the larger barrels seeing Steiner surrounded by his Pluto Knights confronting a very odd looking man. He was slim with long silver hair and wore weird garments of clothing that looked as though he'd just left a fancy dress party.

"I have come to see the Queen…" he was saying.  
"Well the Queen isn't here!" Steiner fumed. "We haven't seen her for goodness knows how long!"  
"She is here," the man replied quite simply.  
Steiner turned the colour of a nearby red rug and looked as if he was about to bring the whole castle down in his anger.  
"What? What are you going to do? Have your pitiful knights come arrest me?" the slim man taunted, noting the Knights arming.  
"…as a matter of fact…"  
"The Knights are going to come and lock me up for coming to see Her Majesty? What bad manners…"  
"… well I think you will find…"  
"I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to invite my friends to come pay a visit too…"  
"…HUH?"  
"Well if you are going to give me such a hostile welcome I really should return the gesture…"

The door exploded at the end of the man's sentence and suddenly some weird creatures burst into the room. They were identical with large floppy hats, black empty faces with yellow eyes and their hands held balls of flaming magic. Steiner's eyes widened and he ordered an attack at once but the creatures were too quick. They fired at the Knights toppling them over like a stack of loose dominos, disarming them and making them fall on their backs like insects shaking their arms to try and get back up again.  
"Urgh…" Steiner said in defeat, feeling his arms turn to marshmallows.

Garnet was also immobile, her arms and legs were frozen and only her face could move its muscles. She was still crouched behind the barrels, still peering through the hole at the shambles that was the Pluto Knights. They were sprawled all over the place, groaning while the slim man walked around them shaking his head as if he expected them to put up more of a fight.

"Dear oh dear… what a mess…. " he muttered to himself, eventually looking up from the pile of Knights to face Steiner who was toppled over the stairs.  
"Well it's been fun, " he sneered and he made his way down to the basement stairs. "But you weren't much company… I believe my special guest is down here…"  
Steiner tried to pull himself up but the magic was too strong and it pinned him down again.  
"YOU BASTARD!" he yelled at top voice. "WHOEVER YOU ARE - YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL THIS SPELL IS OVER!"  
But the man had already disappeared down the stairs.

* * *

_  
Pointless ending time: come read and review! read and review! ... _  



	8. The Truth Revealed

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_ Finally... I put my floppy disk containing this fanfic all the way into the drive. (it was half way in for all this time just waiting for me to continue this story) Sorry for taking so long to return but I suffered from massive brain freezes and then I just couldn't deliver this chapter even if I wanted to. Anyway here it is... thanks for all the reviews. I assure you that I concentrate on making it as accurate/likely to have happened as possible. I personally hate fanfics that don't fit with the story! At the same time, however, I like that it's set before the events of the IX because it gives me some plot freedom too- as long as it's possible and ties in with the game. I hope I get this as right as possible.  
_

* * *

**  
8. The Truth Revealed**

"Well… well.. well… if it isn't the man who not only believes himself to be a marvellous tutor but who also finds the time to be a heroic magician too… I'm glad we finally have had the chance to meet."  
A figure of no great height slowly looked around in the darkness towards the direction of the voice, his round frames and large sausage nose the only distinctive features in the dim lighting.  
"W-w-who are you?…. " his weak voice replied.

The taller of the two came closer, so close that the old tutor could feel the stranger's cold breath graze over his skin until it felt like rough sandpaper. It was like an unexpected blow of chilling wind sliding down your neck when alone some dark night you convince yourself there's a ghost lurking somewhere and feel yourself shudder. The shadow that had once been the stranger became a fully-formed figure of a man, who looked so frightfully pale he might as well have been from the spirit world. The smaller of the men gasped a little at the sight of this, causing the stranger to laugh.  
"You don't need to know who I am."

The man with the glasses stood motionless in the dark for a while. Perhaps he was pondering his situation for his head was bowed down deep in thought. Eventually, after a good few minutes or so, he found his courage and also stepped into the light, revealing him to be none other than Dr. Tot. The stranger smiled at this, an unnerving cruel smile as if he had been planning to see this one movement for months. Dr. Tot, however, ignored this minor expression and fired the stranger another direct question.  
"… then what business do you have to be here?"

This time the stranger seemed more willing to give an answer.  
"I think the real question is what business do you have to tamper with my property? The answer to your question lies with that"  
Dr. Tot stood quietly, his face draining quickly of all colour, as the stranger continued.  
"How admirable you were in learning some tricks to conceal the forbidden book, how admirable but rather pitiful now, don't you agree? It is rather amusing therefore that you be the one to turn darling Brahne evil…"

Dr.Tot stirred at last, his face pulsating in anger so that it went from being ghostly white to a rich purple red.  
"Brahne is not evil! She would hurt nobody!" he cried passionately, "As for myself I have done nothing wrong!"  
"So sure of all this are you?" the stranger sneered, "What if I were to tell you that Brahne has made a deal with me? And you, my friend, are the one who of course let it slip about that book making her seek it so desperately and thus making herself even more vulnerable than she was before…"

Dr. Tot opened his mouth to argue that the book's powers had possessed him to tell of it but this was thwarted by the words…  
"More vulnerable than before? What are you saying? What's going on? "  
The stranger laughed, obviously enjoying this slow unravelling of a story he had been in control of for so long.  
"What have you done!" Dr. Tot cried, his mind racing along at top speed.  
The stranger stopped laughing and looked deeply into the tutor's eyes.

"_I _have done nothing.."  
The doorknob turned.  
"_I _have never been here before in my life…"  
The door slowly began to open.  
"I could never…"  
The door was completely ajar.  
"….do it on my own."

Out of the darkness came two gaunt figures, almost skeletal, with heavily made up beady black eyes. Like two detached puppets finding their master, the castle jesters Zorn and Thorn came towards the slim stranger, their faces full of manic glee. Dr.Tot's face went whiter, if it was possible, than either of the jesters or the stranger combined. He shook his head in disbelief, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage.  
"You two are helping this man!"

"He cottons on fast doesn't he?…"  
"Cottons on fast he does…"  
The jesters said between them, their eyes boring through Dr.Tot.  
"So Brahne has accepted our deal"  
"Accepted our deal Brahne has…"

Dr. Tot head felt as though his head was going to explode. He wanted to yell out loud for the Pluto Knights yet his mouth had somehow stuck together. He could shout no longer, only a weak whimpering sound like that of a dying rabbit tumbled out of his mouth.  
"W-What… have…. you ….done with Brahne? What….. is… this….. deal?"

The two jesters looked at the slim man for assurance, like two children asking for advice from a parent.  
"Go ahead Zorn," the man simply said, "What does it matter if he knows the truth? Even if he was to tell Brahne, it would not matter for she would not believe it…"  
The jesters seemed delighted at this response, finally they could take some glory. The blue jester descended upon Dr.Tot like a ghoul hungry for flesh. The wise tutor fell back into a nearby chair, his eyes uneasily watching the menacing blue jester.

"Brahne has joined with us!" the jester cried, "After all this time she has joined and has become our new leader! After all my hard work, which I was rewarded for, I gain the biggest reward of them all!"  
"You're lying!" Dr. Tot cried, finding his voice. "Brahne would never join with you! She just couldn't… she wouldn't…"  
"You're right," Zorn said, not what Dr.Tot was expecting to hear. "She just wouldn't have joined with us normally. I knew that. Too full of love… interesting that was her downfall. You see poor Brahne lost the most important love of her life… her child. Her precious little princess had died and that left her distraught. She would do _anything_ to hold that child in her arms again. Along comes Sara and, we'd expect nothing less of our saintly Brahne, she takes the orphan under her wing to be brought up as Garnet. That was when I found a way! Thorn and I joined the castle. We knew right away that the Queen was having little doubts about raising the child as Garnet and so we played on it. The first night that the princess had supposedly returned, we crept into the room where Brahne slept beside the orphan and, using magic, we bewitched her mind until the darkest of nightmares took hold! She was being tormented by her own guilt, helped along-"  
"Y-You're disgusting," Dr.Tot spat out, his eyes producing looks of venom towards the gleeful jester who ignored him like he was invisible. This was a moment of glory for Zorn he didn't want it ruined by the comments of a fool.

"There was only one problem in our way now… the King," he continued, raising his voice louder. "He would protect his dear Brahne at all costs. Darling Brahne would never join us if he was still alive!"  
"So you made her kill him!" Dr. Tot cried aloud in utter disbelief.  
"No…." Zorn said, and Thorn joined his side to also revel in his part in the dark deed.  
"_We _killed him."

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_ Ok dont go and review saying "that's not possible!" lol. The next chapter will go back into the past. Plus... why exactly did Brahne join them? Why did Dr.Tot flee to start up in Treno? (in detail) and, finally, Cid has to arrange the kidnapping. A bit more to go before we come to the beginning of FFIX.  
_


	9. Into the Past

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

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**9. Into the Past **

"Y-Y-You what?" Dr. Tot gulped, finally beginning to realise the full horror of his situation. Here he was trapped in his own chambers, on his own chair with a strange madman he did not recognise and some murderous jesters who were taking great pleasure in tormenting him. They were dancing around him manically, their eyes flashing, like a gathering of witches around a cauldron full of prize ingredients.

"Yes! We killed him!"  
"Killed him we did!"  
they were chanting, cackling, chorusing.

"I… don't understand," Dr.Tot said weakly, his eyelids feeling suddenly heavy so that they pressed down on his tired eyes. "Brahne said she had killed him. Brahne-"  
The jesters stopped. Even though they had stopped dancing around, their eyes still flickered a menacing red making them just as unpredictable as when they had been circling the poor man.

"That was the most ingenious part!" Zorn cried, as if he had just found a solution to the world's problems. "She believed herself to be the murderer!"  
"But she was covered in blood, she was frantic, she told me what happened-"  
"Delusions, my friend. All the work of some mind tricks. We had used her own guilt, her own grief as a basis for her nightmares so; I asked myself, how could we use that further? The answer is within a puff of Thorn's smoke…"

Dr. Tot turned his head towards the red jester, who had been chanting quietly under his breath all the time Zorn had been speaking. If Thorn had looked terrifying before, he definitely looked the most grotesque he could ever have gone at this moment. His eyes had rolled back into his skull; his pallid skin had stretched over his bones like rubber that had been pulled and pulled, and his cheekbones had become hollow cavities. It was as if he was gasping for breath in a room full of carbon dioxide.

Now Dr.Tot wanted to cry out loud again or rather his head wanted to but his throat was too busy absorbing every inch of saliva he had. Instead, it was his eyes that reacted first to this harrowing sight. Closing them so tight that his whole face became contorted, he felt a chilling wind brush over his face. In the space of a second, his mind seemed to have raced backwards so far that when he had opened his eyes again, he felt that he had left his soul in his chambers and here was his body watching an event from the past.

It was the night of the murder. He knew this because he watched himself retire to his chambers early, his hands gripping some of the paperwork that would eventually pile up on his desk in towers. Outside, the storm was only just beginning to brew; there were slight outbreaks of rain and a wind was slowly but surely beginning to pick up speed.

The Dr. Tot from the future, who was watching this, suddenly became aware of two shadows on the stone staircase that led to his chambers. Of course, the Dr. Tot of the past had closed his doors for the night and so was completely unaware of any other presences but his own.

"Ssh!" one of the shadows whispered, leading his companion up the stairs. "We don't want to attract any attention to ourselves."  
"Attention to ourselves we don't want to attract," the second shadow replied, also in a whisper, unmistakably the voice of red jester, Thorn.

The pair stood just beneath the stairs, hidden from view in the murky shadows. It was as if they were waiting for something to happen. A few moments later and it looked as if what they were waiting for had come at last. Queen Brahne was walking along the corridor towards her chambers; the floorboards creaked under her with every step.

The evil jesters stood motionless for a while, waiting to hear her close the door that came quite soon after she had entered the room. Then, they ascended the stairs, deliberately avoiding every floorboard that would groan under their weight. They could hear heavy blasts of wind and rain were pounding at the castle walls. This was just the type of weather they needed to cast their spell.

"I'm sorry..."  
Brahne's distraught voice whispered from inside. She felt the air turn cold. Her arms became rough with goose pimples. Her nightmare, or rather the jester's spell, was once again taking hold.  
"Leave me alone!" she screamed into the air and she fell back onto the bed, desperately climbing backwards to try and hide under the warm blanket.  
"No!"  
"No!"  
Then, there was a loud noise. Brahne spoke no more.

The door of her chambers opened. Zorn and Thorn slid in quietly, closing the door behind them.  
"She's out cold," Zorn whispered, running his finger through an ooze of red blood from where Brahne had hit her head against a nearby dresser. " You will cast the spell and I will do the deed. Remember, she must be led into the Royal Chambers when I give you the signal. We must act fast."

The red jester nodded, his eyes closed in concentration, while the blue took a candle of the dresser. Brahne stirred like she was in a live dream. Her head tossed and turned, imprinting in her bewitched memory a vision of herself taking a candle of the dresser.

Zorn quickly made his way out of the chambers and down the stairs (this time however he had completely forgotten what floorboards creaked and what ones did not meaning he was creaking a lot.)

"Creeeeeeeeeeeeek."  
He slowly pushed a door open and went inside a hall where Knights lined each side. He inspected them closely, finally selecting a sword from the shiniest Knight he saw, the one that belonged to Adelbert Steiner. Sliding it from its sleeve, he stroked its surface in admiration.

Finally, he stepped towards the door and towards his destination. As soon as he had slowly opened the door to the royal chambers the heat hit him. The King had obviously left the fire on; it was crackling in the corner casting shadows over the walls. Zorn smiled at them, enjoying the way they danced like monsters at a ritual dance, before he crossed over to the bed.

Below him, the King slept quietly. He was smiling in his sleep, occasionally he would say some inaudible words or he would snore gently, but mainly he was enjoying his sleep in peace.  
"How sweet…" Zorn whispered in a tone that didn't match his words, it was like a snake's hiss before it bit its unsuspecting victim. The King tossed over, seemingly oblivious to the jester's presence, or was he? Suddenly, without warning, his eyes opened.

Zorn, initially alarmed, tried to find a place to hide but it was too late, the King had seen him.  
"Zorn…" he whispered sleepily, his eyelids struggling to keep open. "What are you doing up at this time of the night?"  
His voice was not alarmed nor was it scared; it was concerned. Full of trust and curiosity in equal measures.

Zorn looked at him emotionless, his eyes cold and ruthless as if all mercy had been driven out of them, and raised the sword.   
"Zor-"   
He plunged it into the King, feeling it excite his whole body. Like his veins were being filled up with sudden bursts of life, the jester took deep breaths letting his achievement sink into him. He watched the King bleed one last time before closing his eyes and whispering in some ancient language a command to his companion jester.

The door opened and in came Brahne as if she was sleepwalking. Her eyes were glazed over and she was thrusting her arms into the air reinacting what her mind had been programmed to believe, that she had stabbed her husband. The King tried to reach her; his hands were grappling at his wound in the hope that it would somehow stop the bleeding, before he fell. The jesters looked on with glee before they disappeared out of sight.

"Brahne… Zorn… killed…. me…" the King gasped with his final breaths, the blood trickling from the bed to the carpet. But Brahne could not hear anything. Her eyes just stared on; she was still under the spell.  
"Brahne! Help… me!" the King choked helplessly before he lost all energy and slumped onto the carpet that was stained a rich red.

Brahne continue to look but soon emotion entered her once cold eyes, her mind's prison was lifting and all her thoughts were returning slowly but surely, showing on her face. First she felt numb, then the emotion flooded into her soul, then pain exploded in her head until her heart felt on fire. In hysterics, she rushed to his side and cradled him in her arms. She was crying furiously, the idea that she had killed her husband paining every piece of her heart, while the King looked at her in confusion but most of all, love.

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___Just to make absolutely clear here that Thorn cast a spell that sent Dr.Tot's mind back into the past so he is watching these events in his head. I think I made that clear but y'know just to make sure! This chapter ties up the loose ends of chapter 3: Murder at the Castle. Also the revelations that the jesters have been using magic to create Brahne's nightmares is hinted at in Chapter 2: Haunted. For banter, you could go spot it lol. R&R_


	10. Dr Tot's Flight

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_Well this has been a MONSTER of a chapter to get out lol. It's my biggest chapter so you're either going to kill me with a spoon or like a longer read. It's also been difficult to finish because of the changing points in the chapter (it doesn't just concentrate on one event) which I will signal by use of my old friend the pretend asterisk! (>) Anyway hope you enjoy cause now I've died of much brain use...  
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10. Dr.Tot's Flight  
**

The tragic lovers faded into darkness within a final flicker of the royal chamber's fire. As the flame withered away, Dr.Tot kept his eyes firmly on Brahne. She was sobbing on her husband's chest, her bloody hands clinging onto his lifeless body like a vulnerable child who still needed protecting. Her eyes were like brown oceans pouring out her soul; any hope and happiness had gone leaving her body with a torturing emptiness. Her silent sobbing fell away and she screamed in pain.

As Dr. Tot felt his mind return fully to the future, he could still hear that very scream; smell the bitter scent of blood; feel every bit of emotion. He felt surges of anger but his body had so become weak he could barely lift an arm. Opening his eyes only greeted him with blurs. His eyesight had somehow got lost and had not yet returned, only one of his five senses seemed to be awake. His ears roared with the jesters' cackles.

"AND NOW!" a merciless voice cried. "For your foolish intervening we would like to present you with a special gift!"  
Dr. Tot felt his whole body explode with pain, he screamed out in agony, feeling every surge flow through his body like poisonous snakes. His glasses slid further down his face from the sweat that drizzled down his brow but not even such excruciating pain could suppress the anger in him.  
"You murdered an innocent man!" he yelled out thoughtlessly, his eyes desperately trying to focus on the red and blue blurs of the jesters. "You have ruined the life of an innocent woman!"  
This was greeted with another surge of excruciating pain.  
"I HOPE YOU ALL BURN IN HELL!"  
And another.  
"…."  
He blanked out.

**> **

She was no more human than the most grotesque of monsters you would meet in battle. Monstrously obese with thick pallid skin like that of an elephant or a rhinoceros, Brahne's transformation was complete. The beautiful young woman whose only crime was to love had completely vanished as if such a sorrowful soul had never existed. Perhaps only a little of her soul had survived, trapped in this hideous body for there were times when the manic Queen would have flashes of sadness in her eyes as if the Brahne of the past was still mourning. It was only for a brief second, if at all and not down to some pointless hope.

It seemed as if this hideous creature could have never been human. Not only did she look monstrous but her mind had become greedy, easily controlled. Her eyes glittered like they were constantly seeking invisible gold and she would have outbursts of madness as if she was constantly finding some.

At this moment, for example, she was acting particularly insane, partly because the transformation had completely taken over but mainly over the visit she received to her hide out a couple of days ago. A tall slim man with silver hair by the name of Kuja had offered her an exciting proposition. Four crystal shards, she was told, held the key to incredible power and it would all be hers if she was to help the man find them all. Anyone else might have questioned this. Anyone else might have at least secured a sum of money beforehand. Brahne, however, was more than willing to help, she had become the puppet that Kuja could manipulate in any way he pleased and she was too blinded by greed to see.

She grinned a manic smile at the thought of the power she was promised to receive as she packed up the last of her belongings. Soon she would be on her way back to a kingdom that had long forgotten her. Every bit of her monstrous body was filled with excitement and she drooled envisioning that rich kingdom.

Not looking back once, she stomped over the cold stone floor and waited for a few moments. A loud grinding noise echoed all around her, like ancient gears slowly pressing together, before there was a sharp click and light poured into the dark chambers in all directions. The dusty leather-bound books glittered in the sunlight, useless inventions that had been abandoned here in a sorrowful state suddenly looked full of life, their broken particles shining like knives ready for the kill, while potion spillages that had once dribbled purposelessly of the table began to hiss with delight for the lock on the door that had sealed this monster for so long finally creaked all the way open.

**>**

"He's dead."  
" Dead he is"  
"Are you sure?"  
There was a pause. A brief sigh. A few inaudible words.  
"Urgh…"  
Dr. Tot opened his eyes with much difficulty, feeling his head pound with pain and his body ache with fear and exhaustion in equal measures. He groaned loudly, his hands grappling over his face in the direction of his glasses.  
"He's alive!" Zorn spat out venomously at Dr.Tot's sudden burst of life and he swooped on the poor man like a bird of prey followed closely by Thorn.  
"Alive he is!" Thorn repeated, poking the old tutor as if his movement was not evidence enough, his voice both ridden with surprise and disappointment.  
The only person in the room who seemed to be unsurprised was the tall slim man who merely smiled.  
"Welcome back," he said coolly, crossing over to where Dr.Tot was slouched.

There subsequently came a long silence where the jesters stood watching in awe at their master and the master simply circled Dr. Tot deep in thought. The nearby clock sang tick… tock… tick….tock while the wind outside occasionally moaned for attention. The air was filled with an unnerving silence as if it was waiting for something to happen in a matter of minutes. The clock's little hand slowly moved….

Tick… tock.. tick… tock…..

Tick.. tock.. tick… tock….tick….

"**THUD!"**

The air became suddenly heavy, filled with the noise of hustle from upstairs. Knights who had been paralysed in mid air came crashing down, Knights who had been unable to lift a leg were suddenly up and about, Knights who had unfortunately had their mouths stuck together began to yell while other Knights who had lost their weapons began a frantic search for their beloved swords- it was chaos.

Suddenly the coolness of the tall man faded away and, for the first time, he showed signs of panic.  
"What should we do?" Zorn cried out, equally unprepared.  
"You two do nothing. As far as the Knights are concerned you tried to capture me but failed," the master replied, his face had magically changed from an initial look of panic to the complete opposite end of the scale in one second.  
"And the tutor?"  
"Cast a charm, make him forget- do something to silence him you idiot!" the man yelled out, thinking that maybe letting the jesters take glory for their deeds was maybe not such a good decision now. He made a random noise like a low whistle and climbed out of the window to greet his dragon which he subsequently got on.  
"There's one problem with that!" Zorn cried, following his master out.  
The man was getting annoyed, his good mood was quickly falling away.  
"What now?" he muttered.  
"Well you see….the thing is… well… he's gone"

The dragon suddenly took off. As he sped away, the master looked back. Like the jester had said, the chair where Dr.Tot had once sat was empty. That was because the person who had once occupied that seat was making his way towards Treno.

**>  
**

Garnet felt her throat tickle. She was still crept silently behind the barrel trying not to make a sound. Even though there was only one Pluto Knight in the Grand Hall she still couldn't risk him catching her. The punishment from Steiner for disobeying orders would be more than she could bear. So here she was stuck behind a smelly barrel trying to keep as still as possible while a mad man was running about the castle and the Pluto Knights were frantically searching for him to file an arrest. This, Garnet thought to herself, was one of those moments when you wish that you had actually listened to your guardian!

"Steiner!"  
All her thoughts ended and Garnet stooped forward to look through the hole in the barrel at that very guardian. The Captain of the Guards had entered the hall, his face puffy and red from giving orders, followed by the ghoulish figures of Zorn and Thorn.  
"Yes… yes what is it?" Steiner wheezed, looking like he was going to have a heart attack and fall down.  
"We saw the man!"  
"Saw the man we did!"  
"Where?" Steiner questioned the jesters, his state of health suddenly seemed unimportant.  
"He got away!"  
"Got away he did!"  
"You're sure?"  
Steiner knew what the jesters was saying was true, the Pluto Knights had searched all over, but still he had some false hope lingering on. Suddenly his face went redder than hell itself.

"Dammit!" he cursed. "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"  
He jumped up and down in anger and his armour moved with him.  
"I'll have that man's head on a platter if it kills me! Even if I have to give up my own spare time to do it! He won't be so lucky next time! I'll search everywhere! Every nook, every cranny, every-"

The door of the hall opened and Steiner's heart froze. The jesters froze. Garnet froze.  
A shadow began to grow over the hall, so vast it put every candle out. The hall went dark and a sudden cold atmosphere descended on the castle. Steiner fell to his knees, his whole body trembling.  
"Who's there?" he called out. With no answer he asked again. "I _said_ who is there?"

The figure in the doorway shed its black shadow and the ugliest, most grotesque person you could ever imagine stepped forward. The figure of Queen Brahne stood in all its new glory. Steiner drained all of colour in one second (which was quite an achievement considering his previous colour) and looked like he was going to be sick.  
"Welcome back, Your Grace," Zorn addressed the figure, bowing down to the creature.

It took a while for Steiner to fully comprehend who the new arrival was. He gasped, he shrieked, he whimpered. Finally he said: "…Brahne?"…  
The Queen swept past him with no recognition, her eyes were obviously eager to claim her kingdom once more and the jesters were just as eager to accompany her.  
"What is.. this?" Steiner whispered to himself, still on his knees.

Nobody answered him. The hall was silent and the darkness closed in from all directions. All who remained was Steiner and the young woman who sat hidden from view. Garnet lay motionless, her body was paralysed with emotion. Her eyes streamed silent tears, somehow she knew that her loving Brahne was gone. Never before had she felt so empty. Even when Brahne had disappeared, she had the hope that she would return and would once again brush her hair and sing to her. That hope had been torn away from her in the space of a few minutes. Like Steiner, she knew something had changed. On this fateful day it became clear that darkness had come back to Alexandria. Once again, Garnet was the girl who saw evil.

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_O.k for the sake of my health please R&R lol! I have more to add about Dr.Tot's escape to Treno and also I got a kidnapping to arrange! ; )_


	11. A Message from Treno

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!  
_

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11. A Message from Treno**

The wind had picked up speed, lashing through the grass and causing rippling motions over Gaia's landscape. Rain poured down, swept away by the wind until it whipped up into blizzards as the sky flashed threateningly to show its position over the world below it. Branches had been hacked off trees, stones lifted from the earth and random scraps were tumbling about the ground under the gale's mighty force. It was through this image of a wild storm that a dark figure appeared in the near distance.

Dr.Tot had been walking aimlessly for miles; battered and bruised yet completely determined to make it to his desired destination, he had the look of a man who had just been beaten up by thugs. His glasses beheld a crack where he had struggled to fight off a particularly nasty gale, his usual professional attire had been reduced to rags and he staggered about carelessly, physically exhausted. The only thing that kept him from not falling over was the burning need to reveal everything he had heard. He just needed to reach Treno, reach civilisation and send a warning to Steiner. The jesters were working for this mysterious man, the jesters had murdered the King, the jesters had transformed Brahne and Brahne had somehow joined them… how he wanted to shout this out loud. But who would listen? All around him was miles and miles of lonesome landscape.

He grimaced about this only for a second before a sudden rush of determination made him pick up pace. He could feel the wind lash against his face like sharp knives and rain batter down upon on his skin until it was red raw but no amount of pain was going to thwart his plan. He continued to wade through the wet grass until finally, after a good hour or so, he could faintly see the outline of a city.

Even though the weather was still dull, even though he was still soaked to the bone, even though he had never been so exhausted; his whole heart suddenly lifted. The city looked like a golden kingdom to him, inviting and warm. He wasted not a moment- his careless stumbling turned into an energetic run. The wind rushed over his face feeling refreshing at last, finally he was running with the knowledge that Treno was near. A few minutes later and he was finally there.

Arriving here was supposed to bring him relief and comfort but instead Dr. Tot found himself freeze at the entrance of the city, he shivered and it had nothing to do with the weather. Resting in the city centre was a silver dragon, its breathing louder than anything else for the city was awkwardly silent. It was if a spell had been cast on a once bustling city making it fall into a deep silence within a second. It was unnatural, frightening, threatening and here, at the heart of this atmosphere, was a man who had fought a storm to be here. Now all he wanted to do was leave but his body seemed to have disconnected from his spine in a matter of a few seconds. He stood still.

"It seems, Dr.Tot, that we keep having these meetings," a voice said from nowhere, cutting through the silence like a knife through block ice. The slim man who Dr.Tot hoped he would never encounter again stepped forward, looking like he usually did. A combination of amusement and coolness showed on his face while the complete opposite look showed on Dr.Tot's.  
"W-W-What are you doing here?" the wise tutor stammered.   
"You didn't think I'd just let you go like that did you?" the man sneered, his voice ridden with mockery. "Knowing full well that you'd run like a hero to save the day?"  
Dr. Tot said nothing, he bowed his head knowing all the man said was true.  
"I dislike these little visits of ours," he continued, "It always means you've been getting in my way and making me angry. If you had any sense you would keep quiet or these visits could turn even nastier. You understand what I'm saying?"  
A chill slid down Dr.Tot's neck and he tried to speak but his voice caught half way in his throat until nothing but a squeak came out.  
"You see if I find out that you have not been quietly getting on with research then there's going to be death and destruction. If I were you I'd be staying out of trouble, more specifically out of Alexandria contact, like a good old man. You wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of the royal family now, do you?"  
"You wouldn't do that," Dr.Tot muttered, half unsure of himself. The slim man laughed.  
"I don't feel any mercy. You should know that from those shocks you got. That's just a warm up."  
The man hitched himself upon his dragon (that was still sleepy) and stroked it tenderly.  
"I hope you have taken notice of my warning. Not just for your sake but for all your friends at the castle or even Alexandria itself…"  
The dragon lifted in the air and he added: "… It depends what I feel like destroying" before he flew into the night that had turned an inky blue.

Dr. Tot fell into a heap on the ground out of exhaustion or the sheer horridness of his situation as the city became alive all around him. People trampled over him, not seeing that a man lay below them, and there was a buzz in the air of conversations weaving in and out of each other.

"I can't believe I went to bid for one item and ended up with ten!" -  
"You know you really should go see the world-"  
"Atrocious is what it is! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind-"

Dr. Tot heard a million voices interweave in his ears but only a few sentences rose out of the babble and one in particular pounded in his head repeatedly.  
"_I hope you have taken notice of my warning. Not just for your sake but for all your friends at the castle or even Alexandria itself…" _continued to haunt him. As he lay on the ground like a broken toy his mind became filled with horrific images of Alexandria flattened. Fire raged through the kingdom tearing down the market and then reaching the castle. He saw Garnet as a little six year old crying inside and Brahne as her previous self call out to him for help. He screwed up his eyes, trying to rid himself of the picture but it wouldn't go away. What choice did he have but to keep quiet? He felt anger explode in him at the idea of saying nothing but if he issued a warning, the devastation it would cause he knew would be more than it was worth.

He picked himself up, dusting his tattered clothes down and making his way down a long and winding street. He staggered once again, feeling deflated and miserable. The only bright idea he had left was to seek shelter. Checking into the local inn, he sank into the bed and took off his cracked glasses. He had no option now but to stay in Treno but what would he do? He had little money so the idea of continuing any research seemed like a joke. He tossed, he turned and he tossed more plagued by thought. Then, he got angry. Kicking the wall so hard that a shelf slid to the floor, he began to think about the Princess. She would be trapped in a castle led by a monster of a human who was being used by a silver-haired psychopath for whatever reason. Not only that but two accomplices were running about undetected who were murderers. Steiner, the only protection left to Garnet, would still be under the rule of the Queen. There was nothing he could do. Nothing at all. If only somebody else in the whole of Gaia knew and could help him then maybe Garnet would be safe. But who? Suddenly, the answer flooded into his brain.

"Cid!" he cried.  
It was a risk. A big risk but if it worked then Garnet would be safe. Suddenly, Dr.Tot's head was exploding with the dilemma. If he sent a note anonymously with nothing particularly alarming but enough to get the ruler of Lindblum to start monitoring the Alexandria situation then perhaps he would get away with it. Yet, if he was found out then he didn't want to think about the consequences. He sat down on his desk and thought further. Finally, he made his decision. With his hand shaking, he took a piece of thin parchment and in neat handwriting he wrote:

_Protect Garnet_

He slid it in a paper envelope and licked it shut. And there it was, on that night in Treno where the sky was inky blue and the people were particularly boisterous, both the envelope and the Princess' fate was sealed.


	12. The Oglop and the Bandit

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_I have put that it's three years later and I've used a reputable story source but obviously not everything's exact so just bear with it. I try my best o;) I enjoyed writing this chapter- it was nice to have a bit of light relief after all the dark doom and gloom of previous chapters! ...  
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12. The Oglop and the Bandit **

It had been three years since Dr.Tot had sent his note of warning to Lindblum Castle in the hope that Cid, the ruler of Lindblum, would take notice of it and keep an eye on the young princess. Three years and nothing much in that department had happened which was either good or bad in the old tutor's opinion. He wanted Cid to act on his words but there were still times even now when he would shudder at the thought of the devastation his warning would cause if it was ever revealed that he had written it. Maybe the fact he had heard nothing was therefore a good sign? Cid was keeping a silent eye on Alexandria but had not pursued the question of who had written the anonymous note.

Still, Dr.Tot couldn't help but be frustrated by the lack of knowledge outside Treno. He expected there to be word of terror in Alexandria but nothing was even whispered in the back allies. There seemed like there was nothing to tell for surely if there had been a murder or a kingdom had been taken over he would have heard about it through some vibrant conversation in a local pub. Instead his ears were greeted with the usual humdrum story of how nothing was being done to stop the youth of the city buying things they couldn't actually pay for in the auctions. It was enough to drive the sanest man mad but there was nothing he could do but hope some outsider to the city would have some news for him.

The truth of the matter was that Brahne was keeping a low profile, for the moment at least. There was a time and a place for her to cause chaos, terrorize a few neighbouring kingdoms, but right now her priority was tracking down all the crystals she needed. No one in Alexandria Castle could really suspect a thing and had no real reason to; Garnet had grown to truly despise her time at Alexandria and was more concerned with dreaming of the outside world the way she had always done while Steiner and Beatrix acted under Brahne as their ruler the way _they_ had always done. In short, there was nothing alarming about the last few years at Alexandria apart from the sight of the monstrous Queen having some fits.

At least in the Kingdom of Lindblum there had been a bit more drama. Cid had had his own trauma to deal with, being turned into an oglop by an angry wife who had then stolen his prize airship was hardly him having a good few months! He had, however, received Dr.Tot's note all that time ago. It had alarmed him that was for sure but there was nothing to suggest that Garnet was in any danger. Still with it on his mind, he instead had put it away in a drawer with the intention of consulting it if such an occasion ever arose to read it again.

Years later and it was still in the drawer mustering dust. A few months after that and finally it was lifted out of its resting place by a guard.

"…Is this what you wanted, Your Majesty?"  
The young guard carried the note to his ruler's chambers, approaching Cid the Oglop as if he was a ticking bomb.  
"I-I'll just put it down h-h-here, shall I?"  
He dropped Dr. Tot's note next to the strange creature with much disgust ridden on his face.

"Thank you," the oglop said finally after a good few minutes. The guard seemed glad of this closure; he practically ran out.  
Cid had no time to feel depressed at the reaction of his own guards to his appearance, he had more important things to concern himself with. He looked down on the words Dr.Tot had written so long ago that the parchment had become frayed and the ink had ran and began to think.

Recently, there had been some strange things reported out of Alexandria. Stories of the Queen had travelled to Lindblum ears that Cid could not ignore. If the rumours were true and the Queen was beginning to act in an unusual manner then this note had sudden relevance.  
"Protect.. Garnet… Protect… Garnet," he muttered quickly. His chain of thought stopped for a moment when the question of who had written such a note entered his mind but it was quickly dismissed when an idea formed. He summoned another guard.  
"How many bandit groups do you think you could track down?" he asked.

>

The chamber door opened later into the night and a burly figure stepped in. The strange man who had entered looked about eagerly, his whiskery pink beard twitching like an overgrown rat. He turned things over and prodded at random objects that looked interesting. His reason for doing so became apparent when he quickly swiped a gold ring that been hiding underneath a crease in a table cloth into his pocket. He looked quite pleased with himself; a smile emerged…  
"…I'd put that back if you want paying…"  
And then it disappeared.

"Who is there?" the stranger enquired, grudgingly removing the ring from his pocket and putting it back on the table. "Show yourself!"  
No reply came and the stranger barked his order again.  
"I said show yourself!"  
"Fine," the voice spoke once more, "but I hope this does not get in the way of my request for you…"

The stranger waited.

He waited some more.

He grew impatient.

Then, the squishy oglop of Cid bounded onto the table.

"AAAAAAARGH!"  
The stranger jumped back, knocking over the table and sending Cid high into the air so that the poor oglop landed on him.  
"OGGGGGLOP!"  
"I know! I happen to be it!" Cid yelled back at him.  
"A T-TALKING OGLOP?"  
"No… I'm just a master at lip sync. Course I'm talking! Would you put me down?"

The man stopped. He looked at the oglop suspiciously but said nothing for a while, his mind still assessing the creature in front of him.  
"…Is this my punishment for trying to take that ring? Cause I put it back," he barked in a way that was gruff but wasn't threateningly so. "Take me to your.. your ruler. I've got an appointment to meet!"  
"You're looking at him," the oglop smiled in a bizarre way that only an oglop could.  
"What? Don't be so damn st-!"  
"Look, I got something for you," Cid started. "Take it or leave it but there'll be a good payment…"  
The man's rat-like ears pricked up at the mention of money.  
"Go on. I'm listening…"

Cid bounced from the stranger and onto the table leg that was up in the air from being turned over.  
"You see Mr…"  
"Call me Baku…"  
"Ok… Mr. Baku…"  
"Just Baku…"  
"Ok then… You see_ Baku _I am growing increasingly concerned about the Kingdom of Alexandria. It seems that the Queen has been acting rather peculiar and I am worried for the Princess. I need your help to secure her safety. I think I would feel better if she was with me in Lindblum."  
"Better? With an oglop!… well that Queen must be bad…" Baku commented.  
"…Yeah… yeah whatever," Cid muttered quickly, obviously unimpressed and eager to press on. "The matter at hand is whether you and your troupe will kidnap her. What do you say?"  
"I say that it better have a good sum of money attached to it…"  
"You needn't worry about that…you speak to my Minister and he'll give you half now, half later if you sign on the dotted line right now."

Baku gave Cid the suspicious look he had previously shown in trying to believe the ruler of Lindblum was really an oglop.  
"…There's only one real condition," Cid pressed on, "I'd rather only you knew the reason behind this. The less people who know the better, you get my drift?"  
Baku nodded.  
"Bit of a secret operation then."  
Then he smirked a little.  
"…You got a plan?"

"Indeed I do," Cid replied, happy his bandit seemed up for the job. "I think we need a good distraction. We need the Queen's attention diverted and what better time than on her daughter's birthday? You see I was thinking that there's this play…"  
"PLAY?" Baku yelled, "Look, Mister, I'm no performing monkey. You need a distraction, use yourself!"  
The oglop gave an unexpected smile.  
"Seems we're on the same wavelength after all. Once the play is underway you can use oglops to distract the audience. Then, your chosen men can get in there and kidnap the princess!"

Baku was thinking, his beard was twitching and he was biting his lip.  
"I don't normally don tights… but then again I don't normally have conversations with talking oglops either."  
"…So will you do it? Will you sign the contract?"  
He paused further before delivering his final answer.  
"….Yes, ok then, Tantalus will do your kidnapping"- and he signed on the dotted line- "but I tell you I'm not doing the oglop job!"  
"I wouldn't expect it!" Cid announced cheerfully.  
"And don't think we work for pickles!"  
"I didn't think that at all!"  
"And don't think we won't be asking for our money if this falls through!"  
"I'd expect nothing less…"

Baku reached the door and his whole face seemed to glow all of a sudden.  
"Nice doing business with you," he smirked.  
"And you, Baku…" Cid smiled back.

As the bandit left, something shiny fell through a hole in his pocket. The ring he had originally tried to steal glimmered in the light having escaped from a second attempt at being thieved. Cid grinned at the sight of it  
."…You _are_ good to do business with…"- he bounced down to the shining ring- "but you certainly aren't half as smart as you think you are."


	13. The Forgotten Queen

**Brahne's Story**

****** Disclaimer:** _I own nothing of FFIX but this story!_

_ Well... this is my final chapter :( It's been fun but all stories must come to an end. This chapter will bring you up to the beginning of the game (which will answer your question Dazz Combo) After this chapter I will upload another one answering all reviews I have ever had._

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13. The Forgotten Queen **

A torn envelope fell to the floor, emptied of its content. The letter, which had been carefully slid inside its outer pouch and stamped with the Lindblum royal emblem, had been ripped out of its two day resting place by eager hands. Brahne sat in the Royal Chambers, her pallid fingers gripping the parchment tightly and her eyes quickly scanning the letter with much interest.

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For the attention of HRM, _(she read in her mind)

_I am writing in advance to wish Princess Garnet a wonderful sixteenth birthday and to present her with my gift on behalf of my kingdom and myself. With your approval of course, I would like to put on a spectacular show of "I Want to be Your Canary" in celebration of this upcoming occasion to be held at your castle. Please reply to this letter with your thoughts for I will need time to arrange such an event if you agree for it to go ahead._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Regent Cid _

_Regent Cid…_

The reader finished on the last line with many thoughts. Firstly, she questioned her blank mind about the writer but, feeling her brain wander onto the more pressing issue, she found herself instead search frantically for a piece of a parchment. This was no easy task for Brahne since anything she touched liked to break in her monstrous hands. She frowned, her face collapsing into an avalanche of skin, and called upon a castle guard to write for her. Her simple mind came up the most basic of replies but it was sufficient enough to answer the Regent. The play would go ahead.

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> **

"Garnet!"

Steiner ran up the Grand Hall stairs feeling warm rays of sunshine upon his back from a nearby open door. A pleasant breeze had found its way into the castle bringing with it the mood of Alexandria. A sense of celebration, restlessness and excitement seemed to be everywhere for today it was Princess Garnet's long awaited birthday, today was the day that the play Brahne had permitted a month ago was to go ahead. Both inside and outside the castle, delirious celebration and hard preparation went strangely together. The kitchen cooks had never worked so hard yet not one complained, in fact they seemed almost honoured to be preparing food for guests, while the citizens of Alexandria enjoyed the early morning sunshine, taking the opportunity of good weather to claim last minute tickets for the play.

Only one person seemed to be missing from this joyous picture. Garnet had stayed in her chambers for the morning. Although the fine morning sunshine had lit up Alexandria Castle so that it became almost magical in appearance, Garnet still could find nothing particularly wonderful about her life here. This morning she had spent particularly long gazing at the white birds that flew through the sky, her heart longing to be that free. What wouldn't she give to be out in the world experiencing that life the birds had. Without care, without direction, without authority…without having to act in a certain way. She felt her heart sink knowing she had to sit through an entire play pretending to be happy when all she really wanted to do was get out the kingdom to experience life as a commoner, not sat twiddling a fan immersed in diamonds.

"How will that make me a good Queen?" she asked a bird that flew onto her bed. Her question seemed unanswered. The bird poked around for a while before spreading its gleaming white wings and heading to the window again. Then, it became nothing more than a white speck in the distance discreetly leaving behind the answer.

"It won't," the Princess said sadly to herself as she watched the little bird disappear from sight. She stood up, her large brown eyes reflecting the Alexandria scenery that shimmered in sadness on her iris, as a few things happened in a quick succession. The first came as a sudden feeling of decisiveness; her heart dropped and lifted in a space of a few seconds, suddenly excited by a prospect in her mind, while an unexpected wooziness caused her eyes to feel blurry. She stood on the spot, feeling her mind flicker a second's worth of some distant ruin, somehow justifying her previous decision. It seemed impossible at first but slowly her mind began to latch onto the idea of leaving Alexandria. In the next minute, any impossibility about it seemed to go and, in a sudden rush of energy, she threw some items onto the bed.  
"There must be some way out and I will find it," she concluded, tucking a white cape under her pillow. With a sudden feeling of happiness, she left her chambers empty just as Steiner called her name.

"Garnet!"

Steiner ran up the Grand Hall stairs feeling warm rays of sunshine upon his back from a nearby open door. Having been busy all morning, he had had hardly a second to take a breath never mind wish the Princess a Happy Birthday. Knocking twice on her door without hearing even a twitch of movement, he turned the door knob and wandered into the chambers. As he expected from the lack of sound in the room, all was empty. Light poured in from the window creating spotlights on the walls; the room looked airy and empty but there were signs the Princess had been here earlier. A litter of objects were still sprawled over the sheets from where Garnet had pulled them out. Steiner left them as they were, leaving the chambers and shutting the door behind him.

He wandered down the corridors aimlessly, feeling the eerie echo of the halls send shivers up his spine. There was something about these halls that he didn't like, it was if a ghost of some forgotten figure walked down here often. He felt a strong melancholy presence as he approached the castle library and, although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he was glad to hear movement of a real person inside. Garnet sat reading, only disturbed as Steiner entered.

" Found you at last, Your Highness," he said importantly. "I wanted to wish you Happy Birthday!"  
He stood tall, his hand to his head.  
"Thank you," Garnet laughed, "Whose order are you following may I ask?"  
Steiner's face turned serious, he never was good at taking jokes.  
"O-O-Order? Princess! This is a personal visit! I reassure you that my birthday wish-"  
"Steiner," Garnet interrupted, "I… I… know."  
She felt the second part of her sentence waver; her head began to feel woozy like when she was in her chambers. A strange, faint flicker flashed in her mind.

"Princess? Princess, are you ok?" Steiner cried out, and he rushed to support her.  
Garnet lifted her hand from her head, feeling the strange numbness in her head fall away. She looked at Steiner.  
"I am fine. Just a headache that is all," she reassured him and herself. "I will take something for it before the play begins."  
"Yes, Your Highness. Good idea," Steiner replied and he stood up, seemingly satisfied with Garnet's response. However, just to make sure, he stood back as if to survey Garnet before speaking again. "Well… I will have to leave but I hope that you will get ready for the play…"  
"I will," Garnet said automatically, her attention more on the book she had been reading when, after a long pause, she looked up and said: "…soon."  
Steiner smiled at the ending of Garnet's sentence and left, shutting the door as he did.

Garnet smiled too, Steiner was such an easy person to please. She sat up from the stool she had been perched on and closed the book she had been reading. The cover was dusty but the words clearly read:

**ALEXANDRIA LEGENDS VOLUME I**

Or did they? Suddenly, her eye sight went blurry and the letters seemed to jumble up. Her mind seemed to be draining of all knowledge, it was as if someone had just stolen her brain and replaced it with that of a six year old. She squinted her eyes, trying to understand what the letters read…  
"That's the one dear."  
She felt her heart freeze and her head pound. The candles that lit the old library began to flicker, before becoming dull. Garnet spun around, her eyes making out a dark figure. In the dim lighting, a faint outline of Dr. Tot sat scribbling notes at a desk. He wasn't there before…

She looked back down at the book. Her hands… they were… small and not yet fully-grown. Childlike.  
"Am I a weeeeally good girl now?" she heard herself say to the old tutor, carrying him the book and placing it next to him, in expectance of a sweet treat.  
"Yes, a very good girl," Dr. Tot praised her and he gave her the reward that had been harbouring in his pocket for a while before continuing. "I'm very busy today Garnet. Could you be extra good today and quietly look at the pictures in the books?"  
Garnet couldn't stop herself. Her mouth spilled out: "OK!" and she raced over to the bookshelves. She looked at pictures of monsters that scared her, of castles in fairytale kingdoms, of old doctors that looked as funny as Dr.Tot but the one picture she liked most, the one that filled her heart with happiness when she looked at it was one with the title "_Bahamut_" underneath it.

"Look Dr.Tot!" she cried happily, pointing at it. Dr. Tot did not reply, his eyes were fringed with concentration and he was scribbling faster and faster. Garnet felt her face frown and, bored; she rested the book in her knees. She looked about her, her head dreaming of the creature she liked most in the world to swoop down from the sky, when a shadow in the halls caught her eye.  
"Mummy?"

Brahne was wandering outside, her beautiful brown eyes were crying and she seemed to be staring at Garnet, yet her eyes were glazed over. Even in her childlike mind, Garnet could pick up on the strongest emotions. Hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt….

"_Just a teddy bear…" _some voice was echoing.

"_No identity…"_  
Hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt….

_"Just a reflection…"_  
Hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt…

_"No identity…"_  
Hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt, hate, sadness, guilt…

Garnet watched her "mummy" disappear and tears tumbled down on the picture of Bahamut.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Garnet shook her head, feeling it number than ever. She was sprawled over the library floor and the stool was on its side next to her. Slowly forcing herself up, she rubbed her eyes. She was obviously so tired, she thought to herself, that she was having strange daydreams now! She thought no more about it. She left the library and the door closed behind her. Only one soul stayed behind. A ghostly reflection of the beautiful Brahne stood, her hands turning the pages of a book. The jesters' spell was wearing off but there was a long way to go until this chapter was complete and the true identity of Garnet would be revealed.

Garnet sat by the window in her chambers, dressed in a beautiful white dress, waiting for the theatre company to arrive. She was feeling worse; her mind kept flickering. She felt her head violently jerk forward. The flickering continued. Suddenly, her mind was uncontrollable; it flashed from reality to visions faster and faster until all went black.

She felt her whole mind explode with terror.

Waves crashed under a storm's wrath tossing about a battered boat. The furious sea showed no mercy, it pounded the vessel so hard that it was uncontrollable. Inside, two bodies clung onto the sides for dear life; one woman, one child. The child, a little girl, could feel her heart race and her eyes fill with terror. All around her was miles and miles of grey sky and water, it was endless. Death was inevitable…. she could feel it linger in the cold air… death was near… she let out a scream… death was close… a wave, bigger than anything that could ever have been imagined, crashed into the side of the boat…

The Princess' eyes shot open. For a moment, she still felt her heart racing and the memory of that strange vision linger on but, in another second, it was gone. She sighed, wiped her eyes and stood up to embrace the cool breeze that floated in. Outside, the birds continued to fly through the sky, reaching places so far away they didn't show from Garnet's window. The Princess smiled to herself, her whole heart feeling free just watching them glide over the incoming theatre ship.  
"I am a bird now," she whispered into the cool late afternoon air.

The wind carried the Princess' voice throughout the kingdom, until it flew through another open window. Down in the castle library, the book that had been mysteriously turning its pages shut. The ghostly figure of the beautiful Brahne began to fade. There was only one more thing left for her to do. The Book of Forbidden Charms, leather bound and ghastly, which had been mistakenly placed in the library after being found by a castle guard was mysteriously destroyed. Then, the Queen's presence faded into nothing but the wind that had brought Garnet's words. As darkness closed into Alexandria and the monstrous Brahne took her position upon a throne, the forgotten queen's existence remained only as a villainous puppet, manipulated and used.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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..And there is the end :( A few points to make: The jesters' spell is wearing off so all Garnet's memories are coming back from when she is young to her forgotten past (the beginning of IX) The memory of her in the library with Dr.Tot has been extended from chapter 2: Haunted._

_ As for Brahne, even though we know she has been transformed into the Brahne we all know in the game, I thought it would be interesting if her old spirit lingered about in the halls, like a ghost replaying a memory._

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My last point is further on in the game Brahne apologises for her wrong doings when she dies so that ties in with my idea that the good Brahne's still in there somewhere ;)  
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_Anyway, thank you for reading. I hardly ever finish a project so I'm proud to put this on my list of things finished... YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Hope you have enjoyed my story and have perhaps got a new perspective on Brahne. My replies to reviews to follow so please get reviewing :D  
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